McNeese faces off against the Houston Christian Huskies at Navarre Stadium for the homecoming game Saturday at Navarre Stadium.

The matchup, set for a 6 p.m. kickoff, is the eighth meeting between the two teams, with Houston Christian leading the series 5-2 after winning the last two games.

McNeese Head Coach Matt Viator said the Cowboys are looking ahead this week.

“I made it clear to the coaches and the players that we’re going to prepare for the last six and not relive the first six,” he said during his weekly press conference Monday. “In order for us to have the best chance we have this week and the next weeks we need to get some guys well.”

Injuries have been a concern for the Cowboys, with several players in various stages of recovery.

Viator said the team’s five-game losing streak rests on his shoulders.

“I basically didn’t do what we needed to do,” he said. “I take the blame for that, and hopefully we can do better in the future.”

McNeese comes into the game with a 0–2 record in the Southland Conference and a 1–5 record overall. Houston Christian, on the other hand, is 1-1 in conference play and holds a 2–4 overall record.

Viator praised HCU’s team, saying the team has played well on both sides of the ball. He said the Cowboys will have to rise to the occasion for a win.

“We’ll have to play better than the last time we were out, but I really like the attitude of the players,” he said. “We had some good work this week. Last night’s the best practice we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Viator said the Cowboys need to execute better offensively and limit the number of explosive plays on defense. He said he continues to tweak on both sides of the ball but has no plans to reinvent schemes at this point.

“I think you just get back to competing and making less mistakes,” he said.

The game will air on ESPN+ and on 92.9 The Lake.